The marine industry is changing. The competitive environment within the industry and regulatory requirements are creating the need to address the industry’s established ways of working with a new set of criteria. These criteria are largely concentrated on operational optimisation to gain either monetary or environmental benefits. Simply continuing current operations as they are won’t be enough to meet the targets set by the IMO, or to remain competitive within the industry. In addition to harvesting the benefits of new technologies, the industry should also look very closely at eliminating existing inefficiencies.
One of the main sources of inefficiencies, or waste, in maritime transportation is the unnecessarily excessive speeds at which ships sail to arrive at port only to have to wait fora berthing slot. According to multiple studies, container ships spend, for example, on average 6% of their time at anchor waiting for berthing, which results in extra fuel consumption, higher emissions, and congested ports. Wärtsilä has a strong position in offering solutions whereby a continuous dialogue between the port and the ship can eliminate the waiting time and secure a Just‑in‑Time (JIT) arrival to the port. These solutions eliminate unnecessary fuel consumption and emissions, both during the voyage and at anchor. In addition to the obvious cost and efficiency gains, JIT arrival is a key component, through the utilisation of improved connectivity enabled by more affordable and reliable satellite communication, in achieving a greener maritime logistics system.
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